Driver charged as child recovers after being hit by car

HOUSTON - A young boy was run over by a car and left in critical condition on Valentine’s Day.

Fox 26 News talked with the mother of the 12-year-old boy on Tuesday, and she said her family is close with the family of the 19-year-old man who allegedly ran her son over.

The mother, Julia Garnica, was out of town on when she heard the news.

She came back to find her 12-year-old son Jason in the hospital -- bruised, comatose, and buried in IV tubing.

“You want to go nuts. You want to jump over the bed. You want to pull everything off. You want to wake him up,” said Julia Garnica.

Then she learned what happened.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, her neighbor and family friend 19-year-old Gustavo Diaz was driving a Ford Crown Victoria. Investigators said, for unclear reasons, that 12-year-jason was standing on the hood of the car.

The mother said a witness told her what happened after that.

“Jason was on the hood. They took off. Jason called out for Gustavo to stop several times. Gustavo did not stop. He makes a turn down 7 mile [Lane] and Jason is still holding on to the hood, saying ‘Stop.’ Gustavo does not stop at that point,” said Garnica.

Investigators report that Jason then tumbled off of the car and was run over.

His mother said Jason is now barely conscious and recovering from a punctured lung, a severed artery, severe bruising and a swollen brain. As for Diaz, investigators say he called 911, then took off, telling operators that an unknown car had hit Jason.

Diaz has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon -- something that brings both a sense of justice and pain to Jason's mother, who said she is close family friend’s with Diaz’s mother.

“We've known them forever… it's a nightmare,” said Garnica. “There's no easy way to go about it.”

Diaz is being held on $30,000 bond. His first court date is scheduled for Wednesday.

If you would like to help 12-year-old Jason out with his medical costs, he does have a Go Fund Me page: